This invention relates to sports and games and, in particular, to apparatus for releasably connecting a basketball net to a basketball rim.
The prior art reveals a variety of devices designed to releasably connect basketball nets to basketball rims. The need for such devices arises primarily because nets that might otherwise be provided are subject to theft and vandalism in many basketball courts, particularly those courts that are unsupervised and open to the public. Further, the need arises because when a net is connected directly to a basketball rim it is usually necessary to use a ladder or some other means of elevation to do the job.
An early example of devices for releasably connecting a basketball net to a basketball rim is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,544,453 granted to Harbison on Jun. 30, 1925. More recent examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,903 granted to McArdle on Feb. 21, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,368 granted to Qualley on May 30, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,995 granted to Apo on Mar. 6, 1990, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,091 granted to McGivern on Mar. 24, 1992.
Harbison discloses a wire or metal ring which is suspended by a number of small hooked springs from a basketball rim while holding a net. However, it would appear necessary to use a ladder in order to position and connect the ring with the rim. Further, while the springs are said to relieve the shock of a basketball on the net, it is doubtful that they themselves could stand the shock of a player grabbing the net or the ring without permanent damage or deformation.
McArdle and Apo both disclose rings or collars for supporting a basketball net, such rings or collars being characterized by a cylindrical main body that fits downwardly within the inner circumference of a basketball rim, and by an integrally formed upper flange or lip that extends outwardly from the main body to overlie the entire top circumference of the rim. A basketball net is connected to the main body. However, it is to be noted that such designs would be subject to variety of relatively severe forces if players were to grab the net during play, and they are not well adapted to absorb such forces in a way that would serve to minimize stresses on the collar. As well, such collars appear undesirably prone to dislodgement from the basketball rim during play. To address the latter problem, McArdle requires the added inclusion of a magnetic strip which serves to adhere the collar to the rim. In the case of Apo, he teaches that the collar may be dislodged merely by throwing a basketball up through the net. This may be a desirable attribute at the end of a game, but not during play when the collar might bounce from the rim at inopportune times if impacted n by a basketball from the right direction.
Both McArdle and Apo also disclose the use of a pole to elevate a collar up to a basketball rim. To facilitate both installation and removal, McArdle includes a small vertical hole in the outwardly extending lip of his collar, the hole being designed to be engaged by a spike at the upper end of his pole. However, the hole is blocked when the collar is on the rim. Therefore, the lip includes a notch extending towards the hole to direct insertion of the spike during removal of the collar. The upper end of Apo""s pole includes a pair of projecting pins forming a V-shape designed to engage his collar. However, it does not appear that the pins would be able to hold the collar with any high degree of stability while the collar is being elevated. Further, it does not appear that they are at all well adapted to facilitate removal of the collar from the rim.
The designs of Qualley and McGivern both would require the use of a ladder or the like during installation on or removal from a basketball rim.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide new and apparatus for releasably connecting a basketball net to a basketball rim, such apparatus being well adapted to absorb stresses that may occur during basketball play, and being well adapted to facilitate both connection and disconnection of the net to and from the rim from the level of a basketball floor.
A further of object of the present invention is to provide new and improved apparatus of the foregoing type which is designed for ease of manufacture.
In a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for releasably connecting a basketball net to a basketball rim, such apparatus comprising a collar adapted to hold the net in an open position permitting passage of the basketball and a plurality of suspension arms located at predetermined positions around the circumference of the collar. Generally, all suspension arms or all but one suspension arm extend upwardly from a lower end secured to the collar to a normally hook-shaped upper end. In a preferred embodiment, one of the suspension arms extends upwardly from a lower end secured to the collar to a horizontally extending plate-shaped upper end. The plate-shaped upper end is sized to extend outward over the rim and over the horizontally and rearwardly extending reinforcing plate which is typical of many basketball rim structures.
Each of such hook-shaped upper ends is sized to releasably clip on the rim and, in cooperation with the remaining ones of the hook-shaped upper ends (and if present the plate-shaped upper end), to suspend the collar with the net below the rim in a position for basketball play.
The collar and the suspension arms have a thin sheet construction formed from elastic material having plastic memory. Preferably, each suspension arm is sufficiently resilient to flex from its normal shape to a deformed shape permitting the arm to be forcibly pulled downwardly from the basketball rim, and to return to its normal shape upon the release of such force.
In one embodiment, the circumference of the collar is defined by circumferential segments, including a first circumferential segment to which the lower ends of hook-shaped suspension arms are secured as aforesaid, and a second circumferential segment connected to and axially offset from the first circumferential segment. As is described hereinafter in more detail, the provision of the offset permits a collar in accordance with the present invention to be used with rims which are connected to a backboard by bracing that might otherwise interfere with the collar.
In a preferred embodiment that includes the plate-shaped upper end noted above, the collar comprises three discrete circumferential segments that are connect with each other to form the collar. The suspension arm that has the plate-shaped upper end is associated with a first one of the segments. The remaining suspension arms (all having hook-shaped upper ends) are associated with the other two segments.
The installation and removal of a collar in accordance with the present invention may be accomplished with the assistance of a positioning device which comprises an elongated positioning pole and a positioning head located at the upper end of the pole. The device enables a user to easily instal or remove the collar while standing on the level of a basketball floor.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.